The Gender Gap

Volume IV, Issue I

December 2017

The Gender Gap

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c o n t e n t s

Cover Illustration: Melissa Huberman

Ethics Gender Gap in Health, 6 Contraception, 9 FGM: Now a Problem, 10 History of Oppression, 13 Student Org, 14 Inaction Speaks Loud, 16

Health Men Appear Female, 20

Research Boys will be Boys, 24 Gender Fluidity and Sex, 26 Beware Tumors, 28 Sahil Patel, 40 Kyle Hafkey, 42

News Before Irma, 30 Honoring Sylvia Earle, 32 Evolution of Sexism, 34 Elevating Equalty, 38

Featured Story: The Gender Gap in Health “The Gender Gap in Health� by John Tsatalis and Anuj Shah addresses precisely how the propagation of gender inequity in health care begins at the level of research institutions, the cradle of discovery and innovation in medicine.

The authors examine how decades of exclusion of female research subjects and scientists has created a medical nosology responsible for delayed diagnosis of disease and increased mortality in women.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

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Our identities emerge from a complex interaction between inherited factors and the environment.

We are set on a path from the womb and are subsequently molded and shaped by cultural norms, like clay to a potter.

Women in particular have and continue to work tirelessly to live up to their male counterparts and have made substantial gains. An honor of mine, has been working with my mentor Dr. Diana M. Lopez, for the past sixteen years. During this time, I have learned of what it took for her and other women in her generation to accomplish all that they have and I am extremely proud of their accomplishments.

Many of your fellow students, faculty, family and friends experience unseen obstacles in their personal and professional lives. Some due to their sex and others as a result of the gender they affiliate themselves with. Despite knowing who you are, society dictates the norm and we are forced to conform or be ostracised.

This issue of Scientifica seeks

to explore these challenges from a scientific perspective and highlight the dedicated individuals on campus working to overcome them. We hope that upon reading this issue you gain knowledge and become aware of the plight of those around you. Lastly, I’d like to extend a special thanks to two of my colleagues on the medical campus: Dr. Brian Slomovitz and Dr. Sharon Elliot for kindly lending their time to assist our writers and designers.

Dr. Susan Blanton was my first mentor in science, a source of limitless support, and an all around role model besides.

On her desk, flamingo figurines wade through a lagoon of grant applications and stand watchful guard over her collection of medical literature, accumulated over a lifetime of work as a geneticist. Her research on families with cleft lip/palate, clubfoot, stroke, and hearing loss, among other diseases, has helped to advance our understanding of the genetic basis of inherited disease. A Virginia native, she exudes southern politeness, but is never shy to “tell it like it is.”

We spent many a rainy summer afternoon discussing science and other sometimes esoteric topics, including her own rise through the ranks in the sciences and the influential figures who helped mold her career--many themselves matriarchs of modern genetics. Now a professor of human genetics, Dr. Blanton is proud to work in an institute with a female director and a department with roughly equal numbers of tenured male and female

faculty -- an empirical outlier in medical academia.

This issue’s feature article, “The Gender Gap in Health,” by John Tsatalis and Anuj Shah, addresses how the propagation of gender inequity in health care begins at the level of the research institution, where medical discovery and innovation first spark. This special edition also tackles broader issues of sex and gender by examining how an emerging corpus of scientific research reconciles with long-held societal notions of what it means to be “male” or “female.”

Board of Advisors Adina Sanchez-Garcia

Associate Director of English Composition Senior Lecturer

April Mann

Senior Lecturer English Composition Writing Center Directory

Barbara Colonna Ph.D. Senior Lecturer Organic Chemistry Department of Chemistry

Catherine Newell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Religion

Charles Mallery, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Biology & Cellular and Molecular Biology Associate Dean

*Eckhard R. Podack, M.D., Ph.D.

Roger I. Williams Jr., M.S. Ed Director, Student Activities Advisor, Microbiology & Immunology Editorial Advisor, UMiami Scientifica

Professor & Chair Department of Microbiology & Immunology University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Geoff Sutcliffe, Ph.D.

Chair Department of Computer Science Associate Professor of Computer Science

Kurt Schesser, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Leticia Dropesa, D.A.

Coordinator Department of Mathematics

Mathias G. Lichtenheld, M.D.

Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology FBS 3 Coordinator University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Michael S. Gaines, Ph.D. Assistant Provost Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach Professor of Biology

Richard J. Cote, M.D., FRCPath, FCAP Professor & Joseph R. Coutler Jr. Chair Department of Pathology Professor, Dep. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Chief of Pathology, Jackson Memorial Hospital Director, Dr. JonnT Macdonald Foundation Biochemical Nanotechnology Institute University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Steven H. Lang Neuroscience Class of 2020 Editor-In-Chief, UMiami Scientifica

Yunqiu (Daniel) Wang, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer Department of Biology

* Deceased

The Gender Gap, December 2017

Scientifica Staff 2017

Steven Lang, Editor-in-Chief Nimesh Nagururu, Managing Editor Devi Nallakumar, Managing Editor Samantha Mosle, Design Director Melissa Huberman, Art Director Elizabeth Whitson, PhotoDirector Joshua Zahner, Webmaster Sumanth Potluri, Business Manager Corey Fehlberg, Distribution Manager Ryan Steinberg, Business Associate Elisabeth Hofer, Public Relations Director Roger Williams, M.S. Ed., Editorial Advisor Victoria Pinilla, Founder, Board of Advisor’s Liason Justin Ma, Editor, Ethics in Science Siena Vadakal, Editor, Innovations in Science John Tsatalis, Editor, News Catherine Huynh, Editor, Research Ramya Radhakrishnan, Editor, Health Shruti Karnani, Graphic Design Caitlin Smith, Graphic Design Caitlin Dowell-Esquivel, Graphic Design Lucero Barrantes, Graphic Design Sandy Taboada, Graphic Design Gabi Lee, Graphic Design Bhavana Srikakolapu, Graphic Design Alexis Paul, Graphic Design Rachna Rahul, Graphic Design Trevor Birenbaum, Staff Writer Grant de la Vasselais, Staff Writer Akshata Gunda, Staff Writer

Sammy Roberts, Staff Writer Alyssa Laffitte, Staff Writer Carolene Kurien, Staff Writer Marc Levine, Staff Writer Robert Shore, Staff Writer Aaron Chait, Staff Writer Anuj Shah, Staff Writer Olivia Cox, Staff Writer James Wilson, Staff Writer Corinne Allen, Staff Writer Sofia Mohammad, Staff Writer Ka Lam Nguyen, Staff Writer Parv Gondalia, Staff Writer Angelica Rodriguez, Copy Editor Ryan Moon, Copy Editor Alfredo Vincente, Copy Editor Sean Walson, Copy Editor Avi Botwinick, Copy Editor

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The Gender Gap in Health

SINCE THE AGE of Aristotle, philosophical

thought pertaining to science has attempted to evaluate the reliability of scientific theory. One issue that scientists continue to face is achieving complete objectivity. In science philosophy, this conundrum is expressed by the competing Positive and Normative theories. Positive theory involves no interpretation and is concerned only with what is; data is analyzed without value judgment. For example, the statement: government-provided healthcare increases public 6

- John Tsatalis & Anuj Shah

expenditures. Normative theory, on the other hand, is predicated on placing a value on the collected data; it describes what ought to be interpreted. Referencing the aforementioned example, a normative statement would sound like: government should provide basic healthcare to all citizens. These two theories form a tug-of-war in science that has real influence on the trajectory of conclusions and results that emerge from laboratories.

Although women have made advancements in

Ethics, December 2017 consideration for non-male demographics. Perhaps most telling is that there are no major research tools that compensate for sex differences in study analysis.

In the recent past this led to guidelines for one sex being generalized to the other (most often male to female). This oblique dynamic was first addressed in the 1970s, when legislators encouraged researchers to mix genders within study groups. In 1994, the National Institute of Health (NIH) took further steps by creating a guideline for the evaluation of gender differences in the safety and efficacy of drugs.

These new guidelines finally allowed for women to participate in the first phases of drug development.

In a shocking revelation, in 2005, it was revealed that 8 out of 10 prescription drugs that had been removed from the market were removed because they adversely affected women. This disastrous event made it clear to many Americans that accommodating gender and sex in research is critical.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the NIH there has not been a major increase in the number of women recruited for clinical trials. Many studies report specific barriers within protocols that have led to the exclusion of women from clinical trials. Scientists from Sweden identified a lack of physiological data and the need to repeat studies that had been previously completed using only men as the primary deterrent to including women in their studies.

A publication from the Society for Women’s Health Research also identified the higher economic costs (around quadruple the cost) of properly conducting research on women. This higher cost is attributed to the need to account for different hormonal states and control for hormonal contraception. And while higher costs could play a role in discouraging scientists from including women in their studies, the scientists also have an ethical mandate to accommodate for women.

In an age where scientific funding is often a limiting factor, consideration for the greater good needs to be valued above the pressure to publish.

The advent of gender medicine has certainly served to highlight the dire need for better representation of women in clinical studies. Also, although the population is not homogenous, research must be funded and conducted in a way that benefits all people equally, because the results in the laboratory have a direct link to outcomes in the hospital.

A responsible approach to generating more equitable research (and therefore healthcare) starts

Samantha Mosle

many facets of society, discrimination still runs unchecked in health care. Women are at a steep disadvantage in terms of availability of drugs, and access to medical devices. In framing the discussion on the gender gap in health care, it is important to acknowledge the influence that normative values have had in the research laboratory- where all health care advancements originate. The challenges faced in the lab at the research level will also be expressed in the hospital at the level of primary healthcare. A vast amount of literature has been published that indicates that women are broadly discriminated against in STEM. One study determined that female postdoctoral fellowship applicants must be 2.5 times more productive than their male counterparts to be evaluated as equally competent. A more recent study revealed that men are more likely to be hired as science faculty at research universities than women with the exact same resume. Another report found that prospective male PhD students have more access to professors than female students, based on email response rates. This indicates that at the very foundation and heart of the healthcare establishment (research institutions) there is gender bias. It is important to identify that research scientists who champion objectivity and pure evaluation are subject to the same cultural norms, beliefs, and shortcomings as anyone else.

The gender gap that exists within the laboratory will be reflected in the research that emerges from the lab and affect patients.

The evidence-based model of medical research shows signs that it too has been polluted by lack of equal

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The Gender Gap, December 2017 with identifying common themes that cause diseases to affect a particular sex more than the other. In examining diseases such as heart disease and stroke, it becomes apparent that men have generally been considered more at-risk populations, while women have suffered higher mortality rates due to a lack of research into gender-specific differences in the illnesses.

Heart disease proves to be a compelling example of how, historically, diagnosis and treatment became topics so heavily focused on men. Beginning in the 1800s, a common belief spread that those most prone to heart attacks were always men -- ambitious, daring, and established men. Physicians proclaimed with confidence that it was excess emotion and a fiery demeanor that led to cardiac issues such as heart attacks. As the decades passed, researchers kept delving deeper into heart disease, producing dozens of groundbreaking studies -- studies conducted exclusively in men. From these research endeavors, scientists and physicians were able to produce a “comprehensive” list of symptoms -- symptoms primarily for men. In the late 20th century, countless studies, ranging from those linking cholesterol and heart disease to studies investigating aspirin’s utility in preventing heart disease, were conducted on thousands of men, and no women. Only in the past few decades have professionals finally grasped that much of the previously conducted “groundbreaking” research fails to adequately account for women.

Concerning heart disease, women have smaller blood vessels, placing them at an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. Researchers were required only to conduct a few extra tests to see that plaques in a female’s arteries are more evenly spread out, rather than appearing as a discrete blockage -- in other words, the female disease didn’t exactly look like the typical male disease, though females were at just as high of a risk as males. No innovative technology or massive funding was required to spot these basic structural differences between men and women. This was hardly elusive knowledge, yet it went ignored for so long.

Upon closer observation, a distinct and alarming pattern appears out of the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in women. The physiological and anatomical differences between men and women cause diseases to manifest themselves differently.

This in turn leads to variation in symptoms, and when 8

researchers and doctors inevitably fail to account for this incongruity, stark consequences begin to appear.

Not only are women misdiagnosed by physicians more often, they are more likely to fail to selfdiagnose and, on average, they arrive to emergency rooms over a day later than men do. These few extra hours can have disastrous effects in the long-term, as irreparable damage to the heart may have already occurred. Symptoms of an imminent heart attack in women, such as jaw, neck, or arm pain, as well as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and sweating, are generally considered atypical. When unrecognized, they likely lead to delayed diagnosis and higher mortality in women.

This trend continues to be seen among other ailments as well. Stroke, which is often correlated with old age and a family history of the disease, is commonly misdiagnosed in women and young adults, especially when it is preceded by symptoms like headaches, dizziness, agitation and seizures.

Depression, though often overlooked in males because of the way they choose to handle stress, is also frequently ignored or downplayed in women, due to the variety of hormonal and social stressors that they experience at different stages in their lives.

These recent investigations have revealed the underlying problem with health research in the past few decades -- the failure to incorporate previous findings into modern-day medicine. Returning to the discriminatory nature of graduate school admissions and opportunities in research laboratories, it is evident that the divide between the sexes has infiltrated the actual investigative work and treatment that doctors and scientists do. This imbalance has put women at a disadvantage regarding diagnosis and treatment.

Unfortunately, despite professionals’ increasing awareness toward this disparity, little has been done to actually implement safeguards and tools to evaluate the results of research in light of the participant’s sex.

Adjusting the inclusivity of research to ensure women are included isn’t enough. Moving forward, we need to identify and accept concrete differences between men and women, and act on these discoveries. As activist Malala Yousafzai asserts, “We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.” It is our collective responsibility to encompass every demographic, and to understand that the health of humanity cannot improve until both halves are healthier.

CONTRACEPTION IS A VERY important

aspect of today’s college culture when students want to engage in, as Shakespeare writes in Othello, “making the beast of two backs.” There are many different types of contraception that sexually active students may want to consider using. The type most widely used (and available at the Student Housing Reception Desk) is the male condom. It prevents male ejaculate from entering his partner by acting as a barrier once placed upon the erect male appendage (a.k.a. the penis). While condoms boast an over 90% success rate, there is a chance that they may break during intercourse. This is where other hormonal forms of birth control like “Plan B” come in.

Birth control taken by females that engage in sexual behavior can, when taken regularly, prevent pregnacy to an extent. This occurs through the release of hormones that prevent the release of an egg from the ovary and thus stops fertilization and conception. The trouble with this type of birth control is that this influx of chemical hormones may lead to the formation of blood clots in the body, which can

Samantha Mosle

A Clean Close-Up on the Cornucopia of Contraception - Aaron Chait

further lead to other serious medical issues like pulmonary embolism, heart attack, and stroke. The same hormones can be used weekly in a patch or monthly as a vaginal ring. The Morning After Pill, branded as “Plan B,” is taken in case of an emergency due to the failure of a prior used contraception, like the aforementioned broken condom or irregular use of birth control. It is ideally taken within the first three days after intercourse, as each passing day adds to the likelihood of egg fertilization. Other types of female contraception include the female condom, which has a much lower success rate than the methods previously mentioned. Another type of hormonal contraception is the muscular injection which is given every three months to the female. Other contraception methods include the IUD (intrauterine device), a T-shaped device that is placed in the uterus and prevents egg implantation. IUDs are very effective, but are costly for those without insurance and may be an inconvenience to the woman who has to go immediately to see her doctor soon after intercourse.

To date, there are no contraception methods without side effects or that work 100% of the time.

Women are burdened with handling contraception because they are the ones that become pregnant: men carry less responsibility due to the unequal distribution of consequence. While women have some of the most effective types of contraception, these methods can have serious medical repercussions due to the presence of additional hormones. However, research is underway for a chemically injected male contraceptive which would involve a non-toxic chemical agent being injected into the vasdeferens (tubes that carry sperm) to prevent the release of sperm. The chemical would work until flushed out by another chemical injection. Unfortunately, while the new contraceptive method has been successful in animal testing, the injection has shown negative results in human trials, but we all hope it will be available soon.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

FGM: Why it’s Now a First World Problem - Sammy Roberts

F

EMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) consists of procedures that deliberately modify or harm female genitalia for nonmedical purposes, including partial or total removal of external genital organs or other intentional injuries. According to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund, an estimated 200 million living girls and women have been subjected to FGM. One may believe that instances of FGM is limited to regions of Africa and Asia; however, the practice spans across all six inhabited continents and even has documented cases in Western nations such as the United States.

The four major Types of FGM and Associated Health Risks: FGM is typically conducted in developing nations by designated elderly community leaders, or by traditional health practitioners or birth attendants. Others who carry out the practice may include members of secret societies, herbalists, female relatives, or male barbers. Practitioners of FGM utilize a variety of often crude instruments, including scissors, scalpels, razor blades, ceremonial knives, or even shards of glass. The types of FGM are classified into four main categories: Type 1 (Clitoridectomy): The partial or full removal of the clitoris. In rare cases, only the prepuce (the clitoral hood) is removed.

Type 2 (Excision): The partial or full removal of the clitoris and labia minora (inner labia) with or without removal of the labia majora (outer labia).

Type 3 (Infibulation): The narrowing of the vaginal opening with the intention of forming a seal. This is achieved through the cutting repositioning of the labia and can include the partial or full removal of the clitoris as well.

Type 4 (Other Harmful Procedures): Any other injurious procedure done to the female genitalia for non-health related purposes. Some common forms of Type 4 FGM include pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping, and burning.

There is no evidence that FGM provides any health benefit to those who receive it, and the procedure in fact puts women at risk for serious physical and psychological damage. Immediate complications include severe pain, hemorrhaging, infections, shock, and death. Long-term effects can include urinary and vaginal complications, sexual complications, scar tissue, and complications during childbirth. In addition, those who have undergone FGM have an increased risk of HIV infections. When a single tool is shared between communities to conduct a large amount of same-day rituals, the risk of HIV transmission increases. Damage to genitalia can also lead to the formation of scar tissue that can lacerate during intercourse. Genital lacerations greatly increases the risk of HIV transmission during sexual intercourse. In conjunction with the physical trauma, a victim of FGM may also suffer from a variety of psychological effects: post-traumatic stress disorder, 10

Ethics, December 2017 surgery involving female genitalia can be for both cosmetic and reconstructive purposes. While cosmetic procedures may not have any medical indication, they differ from FGM because they do not inhibit or restrict female sexuality and are done for aesthetic purposes at the discretion of the surgeon and the patient’s preference. FGM is a practice that is not comparable to modern medical techniques; it is an “unethical [practice] and is not acceptable in U.S. healthcare.”

Female Genital Mutilation in the First World: Despite being a common practice in many portions of Africa and the Middle East, FGM is not limited to those areas. According to the United Kingdom organization the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), there are an estimated 137,000 women and girls affected by FGM in England and Wales alone. Other documented cases have arisen in Australia and the United States as well.

In 2016, three individuals were convicted of illegally performing FGM in Australia on six and seven year old sisters. Two of the individuals were deemed accessories and were sentenced to serve 11 months of home detention. The third individual was sentenced to a minimum of 11 months jail time, making him the first person to be imprisoned over FGM charges in Australia. More recently in 2017, two Michigan doctors have been charged with performing FGM on two seven year old girls. This is the first federal genital mutilation case in the United States and will set an important precedent for the legal proceedings of similar future cases.

Future Prevention and Support: FGM can be performed at any age. Those who are most at risk lie within the 0-15 age range. Future prevention is key for the decrease and elimination of FGM. In the United States, the FBI has a tip line for information on suspected activity and for victims of FGM. Information can also be given to local police departments and authorities. Support organizations, such as Daughter of Eve, have several resources for those who are have been affected by FGM, those wanting to learn more about FGM, and those interested in helping stop the practice. FGM is a violation of rights and is completely preventable. In order to eradicate it, the taboo surrounding it must be eliminated. This can begin once silence is broken.

Samantha Mosle

depression, anxiety, low confidence, or trust issues.

Those who are most at risk of FGM include girls ranging from infancy to 15 years of age.

Difference Between FGM and Circumcision: Female genital mutilation is often compared to male circumcision (the removal or the foreskin from the penis). While the two practices may seem similar, they are quite different. FGM is an extreme form of sexual discrimination. Often rooted in religious tradition, FGM is predominantly conducted to conform with cultural standards of femininity and acceptable sexual practices. Ideals of modesty and social pressures are large motivators for FGM, and the practice is done in order to improve social image and increase marriageability. Many of the procedures have the purpose of lowering sexual pleasure in order to deter the individual from sexual activity. There are no health benefits to FGM and the incentives for the procedure stem from the inequality of the sexes.

Although traditionally circumcision is also done for religious reasons, it’s been empirically shown to provide health benefits through preventative medicine and personal hygiene that FGM does not. Male circumcision can lower the risk of penile cancer, prevent penile problems, and decrease the risk of urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections. In addition circumcision does not affect fertility nor does it detract from sexual pleasure.

Difference Between FGM and Cosmetic Genital Procedures: It is important to understand the difference between FGM and cosmetic or medically indicated surgical procedures involving female genitalia.

According to Dr. Brian M. Slomovitz, M.D., a specialist in gynecology and gynecologic oncology at The Miller School of Medicine, FGM is a social issue that is not recognized as a viable medical option. Surgeons like Dr. Slomovitz solely perform “medically indicated procedures” on “problems that need to be fixed.” As physicians, Dr. Slomovitz and other members of the medical community are here to serve their patients. FGM is antithetical to medicine’s guiding principle of “primum no nocere” - first do no harm - as it is done solely to restrict female sexuality and is a violation of human rights. In cases of FGM, nerve endings are destroyed and victims can never regain full function of their mutilated organs. Medical procedures, however, are done for the general improvement of patient wellbeing. Plastic

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Ethics, December 2017

THE GUIDE TOWARDS PRESERVATION

Caitlin Smith

Women Who Changed the World - Akki Gunda

DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was a popular insecticide misused by both private industries and the United States Government back in 1950s. The use of DDT ranged from protecting crops to bug spray. While trying to combat mosquito infestations, the state of Massachusetts at the time sent around planes to spray DDT through fields. When DDT not only killed the mosquitoes but also the cordial songbirds in her area, Olga Huckins fervently wrote to dear friend and conservationist Rachel Carson about the issue. Inspired, Rachel Carson published her most momentous work, Silent Spring. Carson’s book, for which she spent countless hours researching, critiques the haphazard use of pesticides, such as DDT, and the torrential environmental impact that they have. Carson used the book to attack the chemical industry and the reckless dissemination of patently false information to the public. These corporate giants attacked Carson and her work, going as far as spending $250,000 on a movement to disparage her. However, no sum of funds was able to compete with the immense influence that Carson’s work had. Silent Spring spurred the environmental movement not just in the US, but throughout the entire world. This inspired environmental movement would eventually elicit the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. In the light of it all, her work provoked the passing of legislation that banned the use of DDT nationwide, much to Huckins’ pleasure. Although Carson passed just two years after publishing Silent Spring, due credit was given when President Jimmy Carter presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Carson’s efforts not only brought up controversy, but also brought great acclaim. If not for her work, the entire world would have been suffering from immense environmental damage. By putting pen to paper, Carson was able to revolutionize the American mindset on the environment and spark the large-scale awareness movements so prevalent today.

THE ENCHANTRESS OF NUMBERS When the modern notion of a computer was not yet popular, the theory behind it slowly developed in the mind of Charles Babbage. His work on this “Analytical Engine” was deeply studied by Ada Lovelace, a close friend and mentee. Although the engine itself was never built, its designs contained the modern elements of what we now consider a computer. When Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea wrote a short article on Babbage’s Analytical Engine, Babbage recognized Lovelace’s undying intrigue in the machine and asked her to translate and expand on the article. Lovelace came back with notes and ideas of her own, three times longer than the original article itself. This document later became published as “Sketch of the Analytical Engine, with Notes from the Translator.” In these extensive ‘notes’, Lovelace not only describes the machine, but expands on its possible uses.

Lovelace was able to recognize the versatility of the Analytical Engine, including its potential to create music and manipulate symbols, that even Babbage and his assistants could not point out. Likewise, Lovelace’s notes also include what is now known as the first computer program. Although Babbage had written a few programs of his own, none were as pervasive and exhaustive as those composed

by Lovelace. Lovelace’s computer programs were so influential that they were a key component in Alan Turing’s creation of the first computer in the 1940s. While Lovelace may not have been able to see her programs in action, or even work with a finished computer, her contributions pioneered the field of computer science. Her work was an indispensable stepping-stone to the development of computers.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

HEALTH AND GENDER AT THE - Shravya Jasti

Minority Women in Medicine

M

INORITY WOMEN IN MEDICINE (MWM) is an organization which provides minority women in STEM with resources which would normally be inaccessible. It is primarily focused on advocating for the presence of more women in STEM, and it helps members identify and secure scholarship opportunities. While the association is dedicated to minority women, anyone is welcome to attend the meetings and it currently consists of 8 e-board members and 30 club members.

Morgan Greene, President of MWM, recounted her own struggles with being a minority woman on the pre-med track, and how MWM helped her find a community that fostered her love for medicine both financially and emotionally. When Morgan entered UM, she felt uncomfortable with the prehealth office; she observed that if a man walked up to the office, he was readily assisted, while she was not immediately offered any help. As a result, Morgan has strengthened MWM’s bond with the prehealth office and with other pre-med and pre-health organizations across campus to create a more unified community that other women would be comfortable in.

In the same vein, while she was working at a laboratory at Johns Hopkins University the director of the MD/PhD program told her that there was a much

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larger proportion of men in their program because males are more likely to apply than females to such a competitive program even though many of the females have stronger credentials than their male counterparts. With this knowledge Morgan encourages her fellow MWM sisters to take risks and be selective when applying medical schools. When asked about her favorite memory as a part of MWM, she exclaimed that her freshman year she attended a health fair where she volunteered and bonded with other students.

By encouraging and financially supporting minority women to pursue their passions in the healthcare and medical fields, MWM is a club that is breaking gender barriers on our campus by opening up various opportunities for these women, just as it has for Morgan.

Morgan Greene is a plus one Scholar majoring in Sociology, and Microbiology & Immunology.

Ethics, December 2017

Gaby Pages, ‘19, has gone on over three mission trips in the past three years to medically underserved countries-including Panama, Nicaragua, and Ghana-as a part of the UM chapter of National Global Brigades. Her colleague Elizabeth Halliday (president of the UM chapter), explains that Global Brigades stands apart from similar service organizations because it uses a “sustainable model,” meaning that “no single action is done without a long-term permanent consequences that benefits the community for years to come.” While in Nicaragua, Gaby had the unique opportunity to lead the development of a gynecology station. Her team attempted to initiate an intervention program in rural areas with high rates of cervical cancer, which has 91% 5-year survival rate when diagnosed properly. Unfortunately, due to the cultural stigma surrounding discussion of female reproductive health, very few women ever entered the station.

Gaby and Elizabeth feel that the female volunteers with Global Brigades helped to challenge gender conventions in the communities which they served. “The work we were doing was exclusively done by men there, as well as in the United States. We were mixing cement from scratch-the hardest thing I have ever done in my life-laying cement blocks, and building trenches… I think we broke a lot of barriers, which hopefully encouraged the women of the community to continue doing the same,” Gaby says. With such astounding and committed members as Gaby and Elizabeth, Global Brigades is an organization breaking ground not only medically, but also socially and culturally.

Generation Action Generation Action, a new student organization on the rise, is planting its roots under the fierce leadership of Seraphina Choi,’20, and Summer Singh, ‘19. Seraphina was inspired to found the organization- which is tasked with promoting sexual health education- after conducting epidemiological research on the public understanding of the Zika virus. Her research found that while over 90% of pregnant women knew Zika was important, only 25% thought that they could actually be infected with it.

Both Summer’s and Seraphina’s negative past experiences with sexual education gave creating the organization personal meaning. Summer’s high school class in Texas advocated abstinence only, she says condoms were never brought up as a topic of prevention. Growing up in Houston, she was astonished to see just how many high-schools had full-time daycare systems to cater to pregnant students.

To reduce the stigma around sexual health,

Melissa Huberman

Global Brigades

Generation Action wants to start a women’s resource center and create a mammogram initiative by giving out goody bags with women’s toiletries at the Lotus House, a homeless shelter for women and children in Miami. They also want to make students politically aware of the changing healthcare policies so that they may remain informed at all times. Summer and Seraphina both believe that it is crucial that not only women, but that men on our campus join the organization because it is important for everyone to understand women’s health and consent. As a fledgeling organization, Generation Action has tremendous potential to transform the way we discuss women’s reproductive and sexual health on our campus.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

Inaction Speaks Louder Than Words -Parv Gondalia

NOT ONLY IS THE EVERGLADES National

Park one of the largest collections of wetlands in the Americas and a focal point for biodiversity and ecosystem services, it is also a hub for agricultural activity - specifically, sugar production.

The park was established in 1947 and has been fighting for survival ever since. After terrible flooding due to hurricanes, the Army Corp of Engineers was authorized by U.S. Congress to construct hundreds of canals to divert water that naturally flowed from Lake

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Okeechobee to the Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

The effects this had on the Everglades were felt instantly as much of the park dried up and was never the same again. Wetlands are some of the most crucial ecosystems in the biosphere, but they are also extremely delicate. Lawmakers attempted to correct this dehydration by backfilling canals, but the water quality of the Everglades was already compromised before they acted.

Reports in 1986 showed dangerously high levels of phosphorous and sulfates–the first major indications of excess fertilizer runoff from agriculture.

The canals wreaked havoc again by serving as thousands of capillaries sucking in poisonous sediment that would collect in the still waters of the Everglades. Fortunately, this time around, politicians made larger commitments to water quality and many pollutant levels dropped significantly.

However, continuous high levels of nitrogen in Lake Okeechobee began causing algal blooms in the late 1990s and the growth of South Florida once again jeopardized the health of the park. This time, lawmakers were ready to take a giant leap, and decided to legislate the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (or CERP) in 2000, which was the

Ethics, December 2017

to restore them, after they were offered 187,000 acres for $1.34 billion by U.S. Sugar; however, they were only able to locate funds for 27,000 acres. The most recent effort to buy sugar lands was in 2014 through Amendment 1, in which the public voted in favor of buying land for conservation, but Florida’s congress refused to fund the purchase with the shadow of lobbyists behind them.

Environmentalists are not the only ones advocating for less lobbying in local and state governments, as pollution in the Everglades could hamper the important tourism industry of Florida.

A 2012 National Park Service report found that visitors to the park spent over $100 million in areas surrounding the park which supported over 1,400 jobs in the local community. These people along with local residents stand to lose their livelihoods if restoration remains ineffective.

Only time will tell if significant changes will be made to lobbying policies and if the Everglades will survive this legislative blockade, but if things remain the same it is not promising. As a society we should focus on mending issues like these to make legislation for all people and not just those with the most bargaining chips.

Sandra Taboada

largest environmental restoration plan of its kind passed in the history of the United States. The plan was to be implemented over a 30 year period and cost $7.8 billion. Many considered this to be a huge victory for environmental activism in the fight with corporate domination, but they spoke too soon.

Enter Big Sugar. The northernmost lands of the Everglades are dominated by sugarcane fields and the industry brings billions of dollars to the Floridian economy. This economic importance allows sugar companies to buy political influence in both the state and federal government. For example, when legislators attempt to pass stricter water quality standards sugar companies are able to kill the bill through lobbying. In the case of CERP, it has been minimally effective because restoration efforts have only focused on the outer areas of the Everglades rather than attempting to correct the main part of the park, and funding for the plan has become harder to come by as it has been projected to not meet its 2030 deadline. One can assume that Big Sugar has continued to play politics in its favor.

More determined environmentalists in government have tried other ways to accelerate restoration plans without being hindered by lobbyists, but none have truly succeeded thus far. In 2008 legislators were first teased with the idea of buying lands from Big Sugar

The Gender Gap, December 2017

THE FLORIDA

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

HISTORIC EVERGLADES MODERN EVERGLADES

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

- Use your car less - Reduce, reuse, recycle - Plant trees - Don’t litter - Use less water - Minim ize Pesticides on lawns 18

Ethics, December 2017 Bhavana Srikakoolapu & Melissa Huberman

HISTORIC WATER FLOW MODERN WATER FLOW

1947 Everglade Park was established

1986 High levels of phosphorus and sulf ur f irst noticed in park

1990

The Com prehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) goal f or f uture water f low

Algae bloom s becom e issue in park

2000 The Com prehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) introduced 19

The Gender Gap, December 2017

20

Health, December 2017 Samantha Mosle

Genetic Men Appear Female at Birth - Olivia Cox

I

N A SMALL TOWN IN THE DOMINICAN Republic there is a subset of people known as “guevedoces” which translates to “penis at 12.” Guevedoces are born with genitals resembling a vagina; however, when they hit puberty a penis and testicles develop. One in ninety boys in this area is born with this condition. Townsfolk are largely unphased when a child makes the transition because it is so commonplace. It seems as though the transition is as simple as a haircut and a change of clothing, but for the children it is far more difficult.

The heart wrenching stories of these people speak volumes to the difficulty of growing up being treated as the wrong gender. From a young age, many of them feel that they have been born in the wrong body and yearn to be like their male classmates.

A man named Johnny, born Felicita, candidly talks about growing up knowing he was a boy. “I never liked to dress as a girl and when they bought me toys for girls I never bothered playing with them - when I saw a group of boys I would stop to play ball with them,” he told interviewers. He talks of being bullied by his classmates when he first transitioned and getting into a lot of fights. However, as global tolerance for bullying declines, children have an increasingly easier time transitioning. The interviewers followed a seven year old child’s transition from Carla to Carlos and how he is accepted into society. Carlos’s family is prepared, he already has one cousin who is a “guevedoce” so familial acceptance is expected. His mother explains “I love her however she is. Girl or boy, it makes no difference.” At school Carlos fears he will be bullied, but teachers make an effort to protect him. His teachers reintroduce him to the class as Carlos and warns the other children that bullying will not be tolerated. This small town may not fully understand the science behind “guevedoces”, however they do understand that these children need love and acceptance.

The scientific cause of “guevedoces” has been well studied and found to have a strong genetic basis. Scientists have found that the pathology is due to an in utero deficiency of an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydro-testosterone. Dihydrotestosterone normally causes the development of male genitalia so without this enzyme XY babies are born with the appearance of female genitalia. When puberty hits, the surge of testosterone brings on the development of normal male genitalia. Babies with this condition are completely genetically male and have the XY chromosomes, but appear female until puberty. Clearly, gender is linked to more than just chromosomes and genitalia, one’s personal experience of their gender is important as well.

The town understands that gender is malleable and that even though these children are treated as girls for the first years of their lives, they internally identify as boys.

Some of these people decide to continue living their lives as girls even after discovering they have XY chromosomes. Guevedoces provide a poignant example of the shifting landscape of gender identity, and the biological basis of the gender continuum.

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1 IN 90 boys in a small town located in the Dominican Republic are born with this condition

PATHOLOGY : UTERO DEFICIENCY OF AN ENZYME THAT CONVERTS TESTOSTERONE INTO DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE Without this enzyme XY babies are born with the appearance of female genitalia. When puberty hits, the surge of testosterone brings on the development of normal male genitalia 22

GUEVEDOCES ARE BORN WITH GENITALS RESEMBLING A VAGINA however when they hit puberty a penis and testicles develop.

Dihydrotestosterone levels Before Puberty During Puberty

Lucero Barrantes

GUEVEDOCES

Lucero Barrantes / Caitlin Dowen Esquivel

Lucero Barrantes

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

Boys Will Be Boys: The Role of - Robert Shore

THINK BACK TO YOUR DAYS IN elementary

school classrooms. Most classes probably had an occasional clown or trouble maker, a student who seemed to be bouncing off the walls or always talking at the wrong times, and most of the time, that student was probably male. Ask any school teacher - he or she will likely report that boys account for the majority of students presenting with behavioral problems. Empirically, males are suspended more frequently than females and have higher dropout rates. So why is it that research shows that boys apparently misbehave more than twice as often as girls do in American K-12 schools?

Are they just inherently bad?

The answers to these questions may be partially explained by recent advances in neurology.

Research has shown that while there may be no significant differences in cognitive performance, there are some important differences between the male and female brain. For instance, there are specialized regions in the brain that conduct most of the processing and delivery of language information. The male brain typically contains those language areas in only the left hemisphere, whereas the female brain typically utilizes those areas in both the left and right hemispheres. Hormonal differences also affect the brain; Testosterone production in young males delays the development of their left 24

hemispheres, so young females often have an edge over young males in language ability, and schools are language intensive institutions. To add to this edge, the density of neurons in the language areas of the female brain is greater than that of neurons in similar areas of the male brain which allows for greater language processing in the female brain. Scientists believe these differences in brain development have evolutionary origins rooted in prehistoric gender roles. For millennia, males were often responsible for hunting animals to provide food for their families and communities. A group of males hunting probably did not communicate verbally to avoid alerting any potential game grazing nearby. When hunting, men were generally quiet and focused on ”seeing.” These traits were combined with movement, using spatial skills to track and capture their prey. They didn’t need language for this; in fact, it could have been a hindrance. Females, on the other hand, often maintained the home, cooked, repaired clothing and cared for the children. In fulfilling their child-rearing function, women used language by necessity. These different roles–over thousands of generations–are believed to have impacted the developmental differences between the male and female language areas.

In American K-12 schools, language use, both

N

Research, December 2017

written and verbal, is the main method of communication for many hours each day. The emphasis on language is often carried on through homework assignments at night and on weekends and usually in an environment that involves sitting still. This compliments female brains which have more developed language areas and a greater density of neurons in those areas, but the male brain, which is more fine tuned for spatial thinking and movement over language use, can feel out of its element when in a classroom setting where most if not all information is delivered through words, spoken or written. Testosterone, again, may support a more competitive approach toward classroom activities. The amygdala, the area of the brain that deals with emotional processing, is also larger in males which could account for their more assertive reactions to classroom activities. Young males, whether they are aware of it or not, may perceive the language infused classroom as a less comfortable environment than the playground. Male students’ urges to engage in more movement than language may just be unconscious attempts to adjust their classrooms to a friendlier environment for their brain preferences: active and interesting.

To exacerbate the problem, our country’s classrooms are predominantly led by females

Lucero Barrantes

Neuroscience in Education

The percentage of female teachers in the US has increased from 66.9% in 1980 to 76.1% in 2012.

Whether the shortage of male teachers over time has any effect on male students’ comfort levels in the classroom has yet to be closely studied, but this shortage of male role models may add to male students’ tendencies to try and change their classroom environments and replace them with what teachers view as “misbehavior.” Their resentment of sitting still, being quiet, and listening to language could be frustrating to teachers. Maybe more movement, use of visuals, and tactile activities could level the playing field between male and female students in the classroom. Whatever changes are made to American schools, they should be made using the latest research on the neuroscience of learning - rather than on traditions which have been historically detrimental to both boys and girls.

Perhaps boys aren’t all bad. Perhaps it’s our K-12 classrooms that need to change.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

Gender Fluidity in Nature - James Wilson

IN A SOCIETY WHERE the division

between opinion and fact is blurred to form a singular uncertain hue, it becomes more and more challenging to separate the two. This proves to be even more so the case when examining the human condition. We often categorize aspects of human life as either being choices or as polarized givens- you either are or you aren’t. One of the greatest examples of this being the concept of gender, you are as your biology dictates, man or woman. To many, a middle ground between the two does not exist, and it’s been this way for generations. The first international instance to challenge this construct came forth with the public rebirth of Bruce Jenner, stepfather to the idealized Kardashian clan, into Caitlyn Jenner. It sparked a global debate that blazed through rural towns and metropolitan cities alike, causing all to either challenge or reaffirm their standing beliefs on what gender is. At the core of this debate burned a pilot light question that plead to be answered, what is gender? To answer this question, we must first examine the biology of the concept.

At the root of all commonalities of human existing is a direct link into nature’s dictation.

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Sex and gender are not concepts that solely affect man, it plays a part in the lives of countless lifeforms. And like us, they too have a complex relationship with gender. One has to search only as far as the place where the land turns to sea to witness the shattering of common binary viewpoints on gender. The kinship of Finding Nemo’s own namesake, the clownfish, undergoes a transgender transformation on a regular basis. All clownfish come into this world male but, every so often when the time is right and hormones rest heavy, congregates of a local anemone will erupt into a mighty small war.

Heads and bodies ram into one another creating a frenzy of Miami orange and white that blur the scene until exhaustion leaves hopeful warriors to collapse. Only one leaves victorious. The victor is then bestowed the honor to grow twice the size of his sparring partners and given the right to transition into a female. Similar occurrences happens between many reef dwelling fish that, at some point in their life, compete for the right to bare children.

These transitions include a biological transformation from male to female which does not directly mirror transgenderism in humans,

Research, December 2017 Caitlin Dowell-Esquivel

but is only one of many examples in nature where the divide between genders does not remain black or white. For the many creatures that fly, swim, and scuttle across the elemental earth, many males imitate the appearance of females for the juvenile portions of their lives to avoid detection by older males. This is evident in the more compact, wide eyed, and friendly six-legged cousin of the octopus, the cuttlefish, which morphs its color and shape like a living kaleidoscope to take the form of a female.

This allows them to breed while not being detected as competition by courting males.

This mimicry persisted into a lifelong existence in a few animals. Over 40% of the European bird of prey, the marsh harrier, live just such a lifelong gender queer experience.

Gender fluidity, a grey realm between the binary ends of male and female, has been a plane of reality traveled along by animals across Earth’s timeline. In a world where non-binary, non-gender conforming individuals such as Caitlyn Jenner are receiving hate for going against the will of nature, we must remind ourselves that nature’s will has always proliferated gender queer existences across species long before today’s concept of gender was ever conceived.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

BEWARE Tumors,

We Have Your Address - Anuj Shah

F

IGHTING CANCER IS LIKE fighting a war. To win a war, we must revolutionize our army and fight smarter, with better weapons tumor antigens. and a more steady aim. In the war against These modified T-cells cancer, doctors and researchers are doing are then multiplied and reintroduced exactly that, utilizing a method called targeted into the patient, who can rest immunotherapy. Recently, this focused easy knowing his or her immune approach has involved strengthening a patient’s system has just been tremendously immune system to more effectively target strengthened. While the old T-cells and kill cancer cells, exploiting weaknesses infographic inaction were simply ordinary stormtroopers such as particular surface receptors. While shooting wildly into the distance, the chemotherapy and radiation are trusted but new CAR T-cells are masterful Jedi archaic methods of waging war against cancer, with a sharp eye on their enemy. targeted immunotherapy is the equivalent of a The two types of CAR T-cell technological revolution. therapies — autologous therapies and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell allogeneic therapies — differ in regard to therapy, a recently developed immunotherapy, the source of T-cells. Autologous therapies involves genetically engineering an involve taking T-cells from a patient (such as individual’s T-cells to find and target cancer the process described above) and reintroducing cells. T-cells are immune cells that contain the modified cells back into that patient. On the surface receptors that can latch onto foreign other hand, allogeneic therapies allow T-cells molecules and signal their destruction. to be taken from a healthy donor, modified, To simplify this concept, think of CAR and then used as a universal, off-the-shelf T-cell therapy as equipping an army of immune treatment that works for all patients. It is cells with weapons (surface receptors) that quite evident that allogeneic therapies identify specific targets on the tumor cells hold immense promise because of and destroy them. Clearly, this is much more their universal applicability, and so effective than an army of immune cells with a scientists have been working tirelessly random assortment of weapons, or receptors, to ensure these therapies are as safe as that may or may not be successful against possible. This involves ensuring that the tumor cells. allogeneic T-cells possess only CARs, and To begin CAR T-cell therapy, doctors no other receptors, a safety measure that obtain a blood sample from a cancer patient, guarantees the therapy remains universally isolate the T-cells, and modify those cells to available. develop chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), Although both types of CAR T-cell artificial receptors meant to target specific

Research, December 2017

Behind CAR T-Cell Therapy

therapies are rapidly developing, it is vital to compare the potential benefits and drawbacks of each therapy. While an autologous therapy offers more assurance that a treatment will work for a specific patient, an allogeneic therapy will certainly have a more widespread application, remain cost-effective, and benefit a greater population. In addition, autologous therapies are more developed and have undergone rigorous clinical trials, whereas allogeneic therapies are still expanding and require more testing.

Despite rapid advancements, CAR T-cell therapies are far from a panacea. For example, large-scale T-cell activation is often directly linked to high fevers, low blood pressure, and low oxygenation. When used to treat cancers of the blood, CAR T-cell therapies can also lower the number of non-cancerous B-cells in a patient, lowering their ability to fight infection.

In addition to these drawbacks, many researchers agree that extending CAR T-cell therapies to solid tumors poses a significant challenge because of the difficulty in identifying unique antigens to target. Furthermore, in solid tumors, the majority of antigens reside inside tumor cells rather than on the surface, making them impossible for T-cells to target.

Additionally, the tumor microenvironment

is structured in a way that prevents an effective immune response.

The success of clinical trials is a proof of concept of the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy, and widely expands the oncologist’s toolbox. The development of CAR T-cell therapy highlights the growing prominence and prevalence of targeted treatments for a variety of cancers and diseases, including breast cancer, leukemia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The ingenuity behind these targeted solutions, whether they be drug delivery systems that penetrate the blood-brain barrier or therapeutic monoclonal antibodies linked with toxins, reminds us of the importance of discovering creative solutions for prevalent medical issues.

The outlook for CAR T-cell therapy is bright, as researchers continue to acknowledge its massive potential. As Renier J. Brentjens, M.D., Ph.D., of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explains, dispersing CAR T-cells throughout the human body is akin to giving patients a “living drug.” While techniques such as radiation and chemotherapy are tried and trusted methods for treating cancers, they also retain their disastrous effects on healthy cells and the human body as a whole. Therefore, there exists an ever-present need for novel therapies that attack cancer at the molecular level, such as CAR T-cell therapy, which beautifully combines targeting and immunotherapy. Hopefully, scientists and physicians in the future will be able to utilize these techniques and say with confidence, “beware cancer, we have your address!”

Shruti Karnani

Target Practice: The Genius

The Gender Gap, December 2017

Before Irma:

Problems with Predictions -Raymond Leibensperger III

R

ECENTLY, HURRICANE IRMA wreaked havoc on dozens of islands in the Caribbean, the entire peninsula of Florida, and even southern states like Georgia and South Carolina. One of the major problems with this storm was the uncertainty surrounding the model forecasting.

Phrases like “European model” and “American model” became common lingo, but few people know the differences between them and what they actually mean. The European model is the ECMWF, or the European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts. This center is an independent intergovernmental organization supported by 34 nations with some of the largest and fastest-computing supercomputers in Europe.

The American model is the GFS, or Global Forecast System which is under the National Centers for Environmental Information, which is under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). One of the major differences between these models is the overhead structure: independence vs reporting to a center which reports to an administration which reports to a specific government. Due to overhead and the need to report up to different levels of government, the GFS is definitely more restricted and reliant on specific approvals. The ECMWF, on the other hand, has more funding, and a larger reach since 34 nations are involved.

Due, in part to more flexibility, the ECMWF tended to be more reliable when forecasting more than about 24 hours. News sources, like CNN, noted that the European model tended to be more accurate from the very beginning concerning

30

where Irma would make landfall in Florida. The ECMWF always showed Irma taking a more westerly track across Florida, but, like with all forecasts, there was uncertainty about precise landfall. The GFS originally predicted Irma missing a direct hit with Florida and staying east in the Atlantic, then as Irma got closer, the GFS slowly moved westward to align with the ECMWF. Due to this uncertainty, a lot of people fled from Miami (and surrounding eastern areas) westward to places like Tampa and Orlando or northward to Georgia, which ended up being in Irma’s path. Additionally, due to the original easterly forecast of Irma, a lot of citizens in the Florida Keys (especially places like Key West) did not evacuate. By the time all models agreed that Irma was headed for the mid- to lower-Keys and the western coast, it was too late to safely evacuate.

As is fairly apparent, this hurricane season has already been one for the record books. It begs the question, “Will it continue to be this bad in the future?” In a recent publication from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, preliminary research shows that is a correlation between anthropogenic (humanrelated) climate change and increased hurricane intensity. It is likely that tropical cyclones will be more intense on average, and that each storm will produce more rainfall on average. As seen with Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Irma in Jacksonville, rainfall and flooding is a big problem with intense hurricanes, so more accurate

News, December 2017 Sandra Taboada

forecasting of hurricane paths is important for citizens to be prepared, allowing them to stay safe. With enough warning, preparations can be made which can help save human life and loss of property. It all relates back to one common idea: it all starts with advanced and accurate forecasting, and properly informing the public of the forecasts.

Obviously, there is no way to prevent hurricanes or their damage to populated areas, but there can be improvements made to preparations and predictions. South Florida updated their building codes due to the damage from Andrew, and it is plausible that those codes will be revised and further enforced in the aftermath of Irma. Looking at building codes is just the start. Societies keep moving closer to waterfronts which is very dangerous in this case. It is important to look at location, and even exceed existing building codes to be better prepared to withstand storms such as Irma. As for better predictions, it is important to look at numerous sources. In this case, if news outlets and officials had put more emphasis on the ECMWF, then western Florida may have fared better. Along the same thought, a better educated public is important. There are numerous sources predicting weather patterns, and although they may not be correct 100% of the time, they can give a good idea of what’s coming. Giving the public these tools so that they do not rely on biased news sources is important. Had the citizens of Southern Florida been more informed on their own, then more may have evacuated, which could save more human life in the future. A more informed public also comes from education; if schools or colleges offered more courses about reading data or basic meteorology courses in areas that would be readily affected by severe weather events such as Irma, would help the public make more informed decisions when looking at the complex figures shown in mainstream news.

Lastly, there needs to be increased information about the severity of weather and natural disaster. Luckily, it appears most people took Irma as seriously as they should have, but those who did not evacuate because they thought it was exaggerated in the news, grew to regret that decision. Severe weather should never be taken lightly; it can intensify on a dime or change course and put unprepared people in danger. In Irma’s case, at least in Southeastern Florida, there was criticism of people who fled early in the week. But these people had minimal traffic and much better luck with getting gas and faced little to no danger in doing so. Those who waited until the last minute found themselves having to choose between weathering the storm in a subpar location or risk running out of gas/getting stuck in traffic trying to flee. Advanced, accurate forecasting can better convince those in danger to flee when they may have otherwise stayed. Always err on the side of caution when future events like this happen.

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Gabi Lee

The Gender Gap, December 2017

Honoring Sylvia Earle

- Corinne Allen

T

HE LATEST EDITION of TIME Magazine is entitled “Firsts: Women Who Are Changing the World” and chronicles the stories of 46 women who have shattered the glass ceiling in their respective fields. Among the women featured in this article, the woman on the front cover of the issue stands out for her scientific accomplishments. Dr. Sylvia Earle is an American oceanographer, explorer, author, and is considered an “ambassador of the seas”. Often referred to as “Her Deepness” she has led over 70 expeditions, spent over 7,000 hours under the sea, set depth records, published over 190 writings, and perhaps most notably- became the first woman to be appointed as Chief Scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. However, it wasn’t always this way. At the beginning of her career, Earle did not receive the attention she deserved for her ideas or capabilities. In her interview with TIME, Earle discusses the sexism she encountered as she forged her way through a male-dominated and oftentimes patriarchal field. Despite these challenges, she emerged as one of the most iconic and impactful figures in the fields of oceanography and marine science.

In 1964, Dr. Earle, a young woman who had never ventured west of the Mississippi, travelled halfway around the world to participate in an expedition on the Indian Ocean. Her goals were simple: “to do what she was there to do as a scientist.”

It didn’t occur to her that there might be controversy about the fact that she was the only woman among 70 men. The morning they left, the Mombasa Daily Times headlined an article titled “Sylvia Sails Away With 70 Men. But She Expects No Problems.”

Five years later, as a research fellow at Harvard, she applied for a Navy and NASA-sponsored Tektite project that 32

would allow a group of aquanauts to live on the ocean floor off the Virgin Islands for weeks at a time. Despite her 1,000 hours of underwater research, Earle was rejected. Why? The application implied that “women need not apply” Thankfully, her persistence prevailed, and in 1970 she led an all-female crew to the bottom of the ocean for two weeks. This scientific endeavor garnered lots of media attention, as the professionals were pejoratively referred to as “aqua-babes”, “aquachicks”, and “aqua-naughties.” The patriarchal world seemed to smother them as they headed down to the depths. However, they arose as celebrities, and began to shift the gender structure of ocean exploration, paving the way for more female scientists and public figures. 7 Dr. Earle went on to push more boundaries, both physical (3,000 feet to be exact) and social. In her interview, she explains that her intention was never to become a feminist. She had a passion for the ocean and the many species that inhabit it and she simply followed her passion. Her achievements are all the more laudable in the context of her dedication to the field. Earle never craved attention or fame, she just wanted her message to be heard and heeded: our oceans are dying. And while the oceans as we know them may be in danger of extinction, something else Sylvia represents - women in science - are definitely not.

A concept introduced by Dr. Sylvia Earle, Hope Spots are designated areas of our oceans in need of protection because of their significant wildlife. 70+ Hope Spots exist worldwide bringing public and legislative attention to marine conservation efforts.

Gabi Lee

DR. EARLE’S HOPE SPOTS

Some of Dr. Earle’s accomplishment’s include...

70 expeditions 190 writings 7000 hours under the sea 33

The Gender Gap, December 2017

THE GREAT EVOLUTIONARY biologist

Charles Darwin is cited as the father of the most unifying paradigm of biology: Evolution. But is it possible that the sexist ideologies of Darwin’s time are the root of the divisive social maladies that plague our society today? Since the age of Darwin, our society has (ironically) evolved to adopt its own culture of sexism. Men and women alike have adapted to an academic climate that perpetuates gender discrimination in social, economic, and political contexts across all disciplines–particularly in science.

Like all people, Charles Darwin was a product of his environment. Born into the Victorian Era, a time ravaged by oppressive patriarchal ideologies, Darwin complacently remarked that “women, though generally superior to men [in] moral qualities, are inferior intellectually” and “women’s brains are analogous to those of animals”. Although comments like these would be outrageous in modern times, they were actually the general consensus for the greater part of human history. Such ideologies are responsible for plaguing the promising careers of women like Rosalind Franklin, Nettie Stevens, and Esther Lederberg, despite the major contributions they made to the sciences during their lives.

Henrietta Leavitt, a leading figure in the field of cosmology during the 1800s, is a prime example of a promising female scientist who fell victim to the sexist ideology of her time. Her research on the period-luminosity relationship at the Harvard Observatory laid the framework for Edward Hubble’s major contributions in astrology and cosmology. Ironically, Leavitt received a mere 30 cents per hour for her efforts while Hubble was lauded as the father of cosmology for his “discovery” of the very same phenomenon, which he dubbed “Hubble’s Law”. Leavitt’s lack of

recognition for this discovery stems from the Harvard Director’s refusal to grant her recognition for her work on the sole basis of her gender.

In the late 1800s, it was rare for women to pursue research careers due to the menial and repetitive nature of the jobs available to them. They were not encouraged to engage in their own research projects, so Leavitt’s discoveries were the result of her undying intellectual curiosity, even in the face of gender inequality throughout her career. Unfortunately, she is not alone, as she is just one of hundreds of women whose career was impeded by the sexist ideology of her time.

Though it was a struggle for women to be granted the right to publish their research and receive credit for it, sexism once again reared its ugly head in the realm of academia as women sought acceptance to research institutions across the globe during the early 1900s.

Marie Curie, a renowned French physicist and chemist who conducted research on radioactivity, experienced this discrimination. She was a pioneer for women in the sciences due to her discovery of the radioactive nature of elements such as Radium and Polonium.

For her discovery of the concept of radioactivity, she was awarded two nobel prizes to recognize her for the research she conducted. Despite her high credibility and intellectual capacity, Curie was rejected from the French Académie Des Sciences in 1911, the same year she won her second Nobel prize, only because she was a woman. This

THE ORIGIN

- Sofia Mohammad

34

News, December 2017 academic institutions on their inclusivity and equality in hiring, promoting,and retaining women and other marginalized groups in STEM fields. According to Shirley Malcom, director of education at AAAS, a pilot initiative will be launched in the US at 8 universities in which problem areas with respect to equality will first be identified, and then be improved through programs that work to boost student diversity, close pay gaps, and make the campus climate more supportive of equality among the sexes.

Though SEA change is projected to yield promising results over the next decade, women in STEM like Renee Horton,president of the National Society of Black Physicists, caution against allowing the“deep rooted, prevailing and often unconscious prejudices that underlie inequality in the US”from tainting the progress of this initiative.

So yes, Charles Darwin was a product of his environment. But the converse can be just as easily be true.To truly change our society, we must not complacently adapt to the hostile academic environments we have in classrooms, research labs, and other institutions globally; rather, we must evolve to become better students, friends, and mentors to both men and women. In spite of our society’s institutionalized sexism, we must begin to evolve and deviate from our predecessors. We must adapt to an academic climate in which women’s ambitions are equally valued to men’s. We must be fair in recognizing women for their research as men are. We must work to unapologetically provide equal opportunities for women in all facets of STEM research and education.

By understanding that the ideology behind women’s “evolutionary inferiority” dates back to Darwin, change in our society today begins with “U”.

Melissa Huberman

rejection further emphasized the prejudice women faced in science institutions across the globe, for Curie was just as qualified, if not more, than many of her male counterparts in the French Academie. It was not until 1962 that the first woman, one of Curie’s students, was accepted into the academy despite gender discrimination.

Sadly, these instances of institutionalized sexism are not vestiges of a bygone era.In 2015, renowned Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt infamously stated that 3 things happen when women are in the lab: “You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticize them, they cry”. He then proposed gender segregated labs as a solution to this issue, as if Plessy v Ferguson’s “separate but equal” philosophy was successful in the past.

Despite sexism still having a place in our society today, the backlash Hunt faced for his remarks attests to the increased support women have garnered over the years. Our society is gradually evolving to be more supportive of women in STEM fields, but we must take a moment to ask ourselves: is it enough?

How much longer until women can have access to the same opportunities, accolades, and resources as men ?

In an attempt to address these questions, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is currently launching a program called STEM Equity Achievement Change (SEA Change) to gauge

OF SPECIES 35

Henrietta Leavitt Henrietta Leavitt did ground-breaking research in fundamental properties of stars, discovered,400 variable stars, and paved the way for astronomers to measure distance to galaxies. She was nominated for a Nobel Prize three years after her death.

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48 women total have been awarded the Nobel Prize from 1901-2017 but many have made lasting contributions that deserve recognition. These are a few women in science who deserve recognition.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes for her work in radioactivity.

Nettie Stevens

Emmy Noether

Nettie Stevens, did breakthrough genetics worksconcluded that sex is inherited as a chromosomal factor and that males determine the gender of the offspring which would eventually win her colleague the 1933 Nobel Prize after her death.

Emmy Noether developed a mathematical theorem which united major physics concepts: symmetry in nature and the universal laws of conservation.

Distribution of Nobel Prizes Awarded: Melissa Huberman

Physics Chemistry Physiology and Medicine Literature Peace Economic Science

Jocelyn Bell Burnell Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s work in Astrophysics provided evidence of pulsars and although not credited, awarded her co-authors the 1974 Nobel Prize.

Rosalind Franklin Lise Meitner Lise Meitner’s work with Uranium determined the energy released in a phenomenon now known as “nuclear fission.” Her work eventually lead to the atomic bomb and awarded her co-worker the 1944 Nobel Prize.

Rosalind Franklin made major contributions to the discovery of the DNA double helix which awarded her colleagues the 1962 Nobel Prize.

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IMAGINE THIS SCENARIO: you are a

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female college student who had just graduated from the University of Miami with a major in physical education. You had the best grades and were consistently at the top of your class; you often surpassed your male counterparts in design and execution of lesson plans. After graduating from the U you look for work near your hometown as a PE teacher. After reviewing numerous resumes, the principal, at High School X, an all male private school, decides to hire you because he believes that you are a suitable candidate for the vacant spot in the school’s soccer coaching staff. Hence, you become the school’s newest coach. Your students like you but they don’t seem to trust your methods of teaching; they think the last coach who left (a male) was more capable than you. You disagree. You think: “I had the best performance and grades back in college. There is nothing wrong with my methods. But why don’t these students trust me?” Even, your current colleagues testify that you are as talented and as qualified as other coaches. Inevitably you ask: Why am I not as successful as my male colleagues? When the talents and abilities of two individuals of the opposite sex are equal, the only thing that hinders the disadvantaged gender is gender stereotyping.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority recently issued a ban on gender stereotyping ads in July 2017 because it found that existing regulations do not address the potential harms that might emerge from these types of ads. The regulation agency also found that many teenagers, especially young girls, are susceptible to stereotypes as they are still figuring out their sexual identities and goals. Studies

show that young children are not much different in regards to physiology and psychology until they reach puberty where they show obvious biological changes as well as changes in character, e.g., girls wearing makeup and boys like playing sports. From childhood, children are exposed to information and behaviors that are deemed appropriate for their gender roles and as such, they adapt to these lifestyles accordingly. In addition, conducted studies show that children as young as 2 - 3 years old are aware of their gender stereotypes and tend to endorse them. There is, of course, empirical evidence that prove the real and potentially detrimental psychological effects that gender stereotypes have on children. These consequences continue to affect their lives all the way to adulthood, when they look for a job or start a family.

Likewise, there is a diversity of character among every individual, regardless of sex, as great as that of Protists and Bacteria on Earth. It is foolish and imprudent to judge someone based on their gender and race, or any other personal identities thereof, alone as these factors do not allow us to get to know a person well enough. In a study by Patricia B. Campbell, Ph.D., for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement of the Department of Education, she identified 4 major myths surrounding gender stereotypes in education: women don’t do math; biological differences hinder women’s ability for math; girls learn better from a female teacher; and gender and race interactions are irrelevant in relation to women’s ability in STEM. The four myths identified generally hinder women by discouraging participation and practice in science; blaming

News, December 2017 Amendment Equal Protection Clause is by far the most litigated clause in cases involving civil liberties and civil rights. Although it did not initially include protection on the basis of gender, the clause now protects not only women but also the peoples within the LGBTQ community (as decided by the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015). In addition, Title IX, a portion of Higher Education Act of 1965, prohibits any discrimination in educational programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance.

This has allowed women to overcome many gender stereotypes and to become successful individuals that can contribute to society with their full potential.

Most notably, recent efforts by many women around the world to fight against inequality, among other

Joshua Zahner

biology although there is no evidence that sex genes determine math ability; proving the falsehood that the gender of a teacher is more critical than their quality of instruction; and providing a basis for future sexual bias in classrooms as a consequence to said hindrances. Definitively, we are aware that gender stereotypes affect our very ordinary lives on a daily basis. Then why do we accept it as the norm in conduct? Do we, males and females, differ that greatly (except from the obvious biological differences)? Although we may not have heard of every gender stereotype that exists, it is important that we acknowledge that their presence can alter the way we think, which often leads to subconscious prejudice.

On the other hand, the consequences of gender stereotypes are but a tiny portion of gender inequality that our society has worked to eradicate. In honor of our past achievements, we couldn’t have done it without the likes of Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, or Rosa Parks and many more great past and current activists. Unfortunately, following the US presidential election of 2016, we have had some major setbacks in women representation in our government, notably the Cabinet and the Senate.

According to the US Census Bureau (census taken every 10 years since 1800), our population as of 2010 was 308,745,538. Of which, 49.2% was male and 50.8% was female. Yet, there is a great disparity of women representation relative to that of men.

In fact, since 1993, every president (regardless of party) has included at least three women to their Cabinet, yet there are currently only two appointed for Trump’s administration. Similarly, as of 2017, the US Congress has only 84 women in the House of Representatives, and 21 women in the Senate; those figures account for 19.3% and 21% of all members of each chambers respectively. Despite the fact that there are more women than men in the US, the low representation of women in government is disheartening for those who seek equality. Although the US has progressed greatly since the ratification of 19th Amendment (1920), it still ranks behind other nations in women representation in government, e.g., Rwanda and other Nordic nations.

Despite the prevalence of gender inequality in our world, especially in patriarchal societies, there is still hope for the future. The US Government has made great progress to achieve gender equality in many aspects of life. The US Constitution’s 14th

societal issues, has gained international attention.

The worldwide Women’s March of 2017 following the inauguration of president Trump was the single largest protest in recent times, possibly in all of US history. Many participants were ordinary citizens who had never engaged in any major political activities, but they still participated in the march for their cause with hopes that their purpose could one day be achieved. Note that the protests were organized through social media; the protests were evidence that we, as ordinary citizens, can take part in this novel process of achieving equality individually, proudly, and confidently. As Coretta Scott King once said: “My story is a freedom song of struggle. It is about finding one’s purpose, how to overcome fear and to stand up for causes bigger than one’s self;” figuring out what we, as ordinary individuals, can do to help this novel cause may seem hard in the beginning, however, just by doing small but righteous things over time, we can achieve great things.

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

SLEEP + : The HIV Study

Doing Everything but Sleeping

Kyle

Correspondent: Carolene Kurien

K

YLE SITS comfortably in an orange chair in the Student Organization Suite, looking sharp in a taupe grey suit. His grey and black striped tie complements his intense blue eyes, which look into mine earnestly. A native of Naperville, Illinois, Kyle has the fine complexion, blonde hair, and intrinsic manners of a guy raised in the suburbs, but as I soon come to realize, the research he is involved in extends well beyond the realms of suburbia.

“So Kyle, what’s your earliest memory of your interest in science?”

“Honestly, I’ve always been interested in science.

Ever since I was a little kid in elementary school, I was really intrigued by the scientists that would come into class and do presentations. I would go home and do my own weird experiments in the kitchen all the time, like the Coca Cola and Mentos one. My mom was not happy about that one.”

He chuckles as he looks at me, the memory lighting up his face.

“Did she make you clean it up?”

“Oh, yeah, you know she did.”

I laugh as he smiles fondly, and after a short pause, I charge forward.

“So Kyle I’m really interested in hearing about your research—can you tell me a little bit about what you do?”

“I’m working at the Health Promotion and Care Lab—HPAC for short—under Dr. Steven Safren.

Currently, I work under Brooke Rogers, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology, in a study called SLEEP+. SLEEP+ is examining how sleep problems affect HIV health and quality of life. We work with a population that I’ve never really gotten in contact with—people who can’t afford high-tech HIV 40

care. We go to Jackson Memorial Clinic, where we typically sit with participants for about 1-2 hours for their baseline visit and do a short questionnaire with them.”

“Are there any requirements a participant would need to meet in order to be in the study?”

“Yeah, our participants have to be HIV positive or have AIDS, and they have to be a patient at Jackson Memorial Clinic between the ages of 18 and 65.

If they meet those requirements, they are able to participate in the study. Besides the questionnaire we make them fill out, we collect saliva samples, to see if there are any inflammatory biomarkers - stress indicators - in their bodies. After that, we have them fill out a sleep diary for a week, which helps us to see how they think they’re sleeping. On top of that, they wear a device called an Actigraph for a week, which tracks their movement and helps us see how long and when they are actually sleeping. After a week, they come back to the clinic with their sleep diary and Actigraph, and we analyze the data from both.

“Is there any kind of follow-up after the week, or is it just the one week?”

“Yeah so participants come back for a 3-month and 6-month follow up. We also look at their medical records after a year, to observe any fluctuations in their CD4 levels or viral load.”

“What is the significance of CD4 levels and viral load?”

“Viral load is an indicator of how much HIV is in your blood, so if you have a high viral load— which can happen if you don’t take your medication regularly— that’s a bad sign. CD4 cells are white blood cells important in the immune system, and your CD4 levels are indicative of how healthy your

Research, December 2017

Picture: Elizabeth Whitson:

interview; that’s actually really cool.”

He laughs modestly. “Thank you.”

“So you got really involved in a really short amount of time—how did that feel?”

“At first I was like, ‘Wow, I feel like I’m adulting’. I really did get involved in a short period of time and it felt amazing to actually help out so much in a research project. I wasn’t just sitting there inputting data.”

“So do you think this is something that you’ll continue in the future?”

“Well in the future I actually want to go to law school, but I do want to find a place where my interests meet. I think that this research has opened my eyes to the problems going on in low socioeconomic communities. People in these communities can’t get a job because they have HIV, so then they go on disability, but if they’re on disability they can’t have a job, so it’s this back and forth cycle. I think in the future I’d like to deal more with the legal aspects of this issue, to see how I can help these communities from a legal standpoint.”

“So we’ve talked about a lot, but before we go I have to ask—what do you think constitutes a successful research experience?”

“Honestly, that’s a pretty hard question. It’s hard to measure what success is when you’ve had such a meaningful experience. I think that just getting your foot in the door makes for a successful experience. I definitely advise everyone to get involved in research, because it has opened my eyes to so much more than I thought possible. Honestly—and I can say this wholeheartedly—this is the best experience I have had coming to the University of Miami.”

“Well that’s a very strong statement,” I say as we both start gathering our things to head out the door. His eyes look straight into mine and crinkle with a knowing smile.

“It is, and I will 100% stick by it.”

Samantha Mosle

immune system is. Low CD4 levels are not a good sign; generally anything below 200 puts someone with HIV at serious risk for illness.”

“Mhm. So how does this all play out in the study?

Like what is the end goal of this study?”

“The end goal for SLEEP+ is to see if there is any correlation between sleep quality and HIV health outcomes and quality of life. If we find that how a patient sleeps has a salient effect, then the next step is to study whether we can improve sleep in people living with HIV/AIDS to improve these health outcomes.”

“But why sleep?”

“So as many people may know, there is an association between sleep and depression. The HPAC lab actually looks at the comorbidity of depression and HIV health, so obviously if you are depressed you aren’t gonna take good of care of your body and you’re less likely to take your medication.

Subsequently, your CD4 levels will be lower and your immune system will not be able to fight diseases as well. If you aren’t sleeping properly, you are more likely to be agitated and more likely to be depressed.

We just kind of look at how all of this fits together.”

“So the end goal is not to find a cure for HIV.” “No, definitely not. What we do in health psychology is find ways to use psychological interventions to improve quality of life and behavioral health so those living with HIV can have a higher standard of living.”

“That’s really interesting. So when did you start with this research?”

“Over the summer, in May.” “This summer?”

“Yeah, this summer. It was my first research experience and I was so scared. My mentors were so helpful though. They guided me in ways I could have never imagined and opened my mind to new opportunities. From the first day, oh my god, Dr. Safren and Brooke were so helpful. They gave me an opportunity to help the LGBTQ community in a way that I never thought I could. It’s scary, coming out as LGBTQ affirmative, because of the stigma against it. But by working in this lab I got to help the LGBTQ community in a long term, medical way, which was really awesome for me.”

At this point, I am star-struck. However, I stay professional, and respond with the utmost professionalism: “That’s awesome. That’s like, really awesome. I’m not even saying that for the

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The Gender Gap, December 2017

Stinging Back:

A Passion for Malaria Research Sahil Patel

MOST AMERICANS probably aren’t

concerned with contracting malaria because it was eradicated here in the 1950s, with the help of window screens, improved drainage, and insecticides. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by Plasmodium spp. parasites, and remains a significant public health challenge in economically developing regions of Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, and close to home, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Sahil Patel, an undergraduate at the University of Miami, is passionate about working to contain the malaria epidemic in countries such as India and Afghanistan. He began doing research in a malaria and leishmania research lab with Arba Ager, Phd. Kurt Schesser, Phd., and Merita Aviles, Phd., because he felt a need to combat a sadly overlooked cause of mortality and suffering - “I’m from India and it’s very prevalent there...

There are people suffering all over the world that may not be in the spotlight,” Sahil says.

Patel grew up in Boca Raton, which he found to be “not very diverse for Florida.” There were Jewish and Indian people within his circle, but besides that, not much diversity. Coming to Miami was very different,” Sahil says. While attending middle school in Boca, Patel developed an interest in science, which he can trace to dissecting frogs in 7th grade. He was not very enthusiastic about dissecting it at first but with the

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Correspondent: Marc Levine

encouragement and guidance of the teacher, he ultimately enjoyed learning first-hand about the elegant organization of animal anatomy and physiology. This sparked a fascination with science that continues to this day.

As a Microbiology and Immunology major, several upperclassmen in his program advised him to work in Dr. Ager’s and Dr. Schesser’s malaria research lab.

He was further intrigued when Dr. Ager came to his Microbiology teaching-lab and lectured about malaria, other parasites, and about the lab’s mosquito breeding colony. Patel began working in the lab under the direction of Ricardo Garcia, who became his mentor.

Garcia is in charge of day-to-day procedures, and works closely with Patel to help him gain a clear understanding of the often technically challenging procedures, as well as the broader impact of the work.

In the lab, Patel works directly with mice, inoculating them via an IP injection, and treating the mice with antimalarial drugs via oral gavage. The IP, or intraperitoneal method involves injecting a needle into the abdomen of the mouse. The oral gavage method consists of putting a blunt tipped needle down the mouse’s throat to successfully administer the drugs. Patel said that the first few times were difficult, but he was ultimately able to conquer his fear of handling and injecting the mice.

The lab’s research is primarily focused on novel drug discovery. Malaria develops resistance to any single drug within an average of 5 years due to its high mutation rate in conjunction with socioeconomic factors endemic to regions with high rates of malaria.

Malaria has a complex life cycle; which needs an infected

Samantha Mosle

Picture: Elizabeth Whitson

host (humans), and is transmitted from the bite of the vector, (an infected female Anopheles mosquito).

Within the mosquito, during the sexual phase of this parasite, a male and female gamete combine to form a genetically variable egg. This process leads to great genetic diversity in parasite populations as well as high mutation rate. The socioeconomic factors that lead to the spread of resistance range from poor drug quality and access to drug, to noncompliance in following the full duration of the drug regimen.

Because of this, researchers are now focusing on developing drug combination therapies to combat the resistance the parasite gains to singular drug approaches.

Patel describes a successful research experience as “Coming out knowing more than when you came in. With research, it’s different than schoolwork. You can read a powerpoint slide all you want and do all the practice problems in the book, but, in lab, you have to learn hands on, looking at and interpreting slides and doing things you wouldn’t normally do in a class. You get a practical understanding of how things work.”

Dr. Ager’s research lab has been working with JPC-3210, an aminomethylphenol that has shown significant efficacy against the parasite when used in combination with other drugs. This is a big finding, and it is the third efficacious drug to be extensively studied at the pre-clinical level in the lab. The first 2 drugs, (Lariam® and Halfan®), have been approved and are used today to treat malaria cases. Dr. Ager’s lab is currently studying the effects of the compound on Plasmodium berghei, a rodent malaria strain, but

also genetically close to that of human malaria. The next step will be to test the drug on humans.

Working in the lab has given Patel exposure to medical research which he believes will be very helpful in his future endeavors. Patel plans to attend medical school with the hope of becoming a surgeon, so the experience he is gaining will ultimately be a valuable tool in his future. “Obviously a mouse is much different than a human, but some of the procedures and tools are similar to what I will encounter as a surgeon.” He is currently undecided about what type of surgery he’ll specialize in, but he would like to obtain an MBA before going to medical school. His family owns several franchises in Florida and Texas, and he would also like to one day partner with his father in the business. Patel hopes that the MBA will provide him with the skills needed to manage his family business, as well as, possibly, a medical practice.

Patel’s advice to other undergraduates is to not be afraid to reach out for research opportunities. “In the beginning, I was scared to contact professors and scientists, but the worst thing they can do is say is no. Be proactive in trying to find research you’re interested in. Utilize the undergraduate research application. Find something you’re passionate about.

Working in a lab is going to be about 4-8 hours per week, so you’ll want to choose something you like,” Sahil says. Patel encourages others to find research that they enjoy, because they will get more out of the experience. He believes that research is a very important and fulfilling part of undergraduate studies, regardless of your major or academic track.

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